 Marni Binder, Ed.D.
Marni Binder is an Assistant Professor at The School of Early Childhood at Ryerson University. Prior to Ryerson, she worked in the preservice and graduate programs at The Faculty of Education, York University. Marni also worked extensively with primary-aged children, as well as with junior-aged children as an educator in Regent Park schools in Toronto for 23 years. Marni has presented at international conferences on topics such as imagination and education, and young children's art and literacy. Dr. Binder’s expertise involves children ages 3-6 in the areas of literacy and the arts, the creative arts, and family literacy practices. This includes multiliteracies and multimodalities, quality children’s literature, culturally and linguistically diverse children and communities. Her expertise is grounded in a holistic education framework.
 Liane Comeau, Ph.D.
Liane Comeau is Scientific Advisor at the Institut national de santé publique du Québec. Her work focuses on the determinants of development and social adaptation of children from the prenatal period to school entry, in support to the Ministry of Health and Social Services as well as regional public health authorities. Previously, she was Director of Research and Evaluation at Invest in Kids. She has published scholarly and applied articles and reports, and is a reviewer for scientific journals in the area of language development. She is also an Expert Member in mental health promotion for the Quebec-based Qualaxia Network. She earned her Doctorate in Psychology at McGill University in 2004.
 Carol Crill Russell, B.A., M.S., M.S.W., Ph.D.
Dr. Carol Crill Russell, Senior Research Advisor at Invest in Kids, is a respected Parenting and Child Development Expert. She served for over a decade as the Senior Research and Policy Advisor for Children’s Services in Ontario’s Ministry of Community and Social Services. She has served as a member of a number of Canada’s leading applied research and policy framework initiatives, including Ontario’s Better Beginnings, Better Futures Policy Research Project. She has authored numerous studies on parenting for Invest in Kids.
 Cindy-Lee Dennis, Ph.D.
Dr. Cindy-Lee Dennis is an Associate Professor at the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto and holds a Canada Research Chair in Perinatal Community Health. She has over 60 peer-reviewed publications related to diverse maternal and infant health outcomes including the detection, prevention, and treatment of postpartum depression. She has also co-authored a best-selling book for health professionals caring for women with postpartum depression and has completed five Cochrane systematic reviews related to perinatal (antenatal and postpartum) depression. She developed the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale, which is being used internationally in over 20 different countries, and is an active consultant in the development of several maternal peer support programs.
 Karon Foster, R.N., BScN, M.Ed.
Karon Foster, Senior Director of Parent and Professional Education at Invest in Kids, has over 30 years of combined nursing and teaching experience. As a nursing instructor, she has designed courses and taught nursing students in baccalaureate programs at the University of Toronto, York University and Ryerson Polytechnic University. She has contributed as an author to several community nursing textbooks. She is intimately familiar with the needs of expectant and new parents through her work conducting prenatal and parenting classes and working with parents as a public health nurse. She is one of the key authors of The Parenting Partnership, a parent education program developed by Invest in Kids for first-time parents.
 Palmina Ioannone, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.
Dr. Palmina Ioannone is the Director of Research and Evaluation at Invest in Kids. She has spent more than 15 years working with young children, families, and early childhood professionals in various settings including schools, childcare centres and family support programs. In addition, she has taught at Ryerson University in the Early Childhood Education Department. She has been involved in a variety of research projects in Canada and the U.S. and recently worked on the Toronto First Duty project - a pilot project integrating kindergarten, childcare, and family support through schools.
 Chaya Kulkarni, B.A.A. M.Ed., Ed.D.
Dr. Chaya Kulkarni is a Parenting and Child Development Expert with more than a decade of experience in the field of children’s services and early childhood education. Dr. Kulkarni has served as the Senior Policy Analyst and Researcher for the Office of the Official Opposition at Queen’s Park where she was able to influence and inform practices surrounding early childhood care and education. She has also worked directly with children and families in the childcare sector. She currently heads the Infant Mental Health portfolio at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto.
 Kris Langille, R.N., B.ScN.
Kris Langille provides expertise in prenatal education, early infant and maternal postnatal assessment and intervention and adult education. She has more than 35 years of nursing experience, ranging from intensive care and operating room to public health nurse (for Toronto Public Heath). Kris’s focus for the past 12 years has been in the area of Maternal and Newborn nursing. She has facilitated prenatal education classes and worked with the Healthy Babies/Healthy Children Program. Kris has also worked with the Parenting Partnership Team as a Parent Educator and Lead Parent Educator.
 Greg Lubimiv, B.S.W., M.S.W., C.A.C.P.T.S
Greg Lubimiv has more than 30 years of experience as an administrator, clinician and trainer in children’s mental health and child welfare. He is renowned nationally as an expert on the unique needs of both parents and children in military families. Greg has authored books and articles on the topic including, Wings for Our Children: The Essentials of Becoming a Play Therapist, and has also penned, My Sister is an Angeline, to help children cope with the death of a sibling. He is a certified play therapist and supervisor with the Canadian Association of Child and Play Therapy.
 Susan Mace, B.A., B.Ed., M.A.
Susan Mace has been an educator for more than twenty-five years and has worked with young children and their families as an early interventionist and early literacy specialist. She has been a Facilitator for Parent Support Groups, presented numerous workshops for parents and professionals, as well as developed Read with Me, a community-based early literacy program for parents/caregivers and babies. She currently teaches several courses at Ryerson University in the School of Early Childhood Education.
 Nikki Martyn-Capobianco, Ph.D.
Dr. Nikki Martyn-Capobianco has a unique combination of practical, educational and business experience in the field of child psychology and early childhood education. She completed her Doctorate in Early Childhood from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and went on to found Mindwerx4kids early learning centre. She works clinically with children in private practice conducting play therapy and developing interventions for children in childcare centres and schools. She currently teaches at Ryerson University and develops curriculum at York University as part of the Infant Mental Health Certificate program. She is a sought after speaker and teacher who has given lectures across Canada.
 Brian Russell
Brian Russell is currently a Parent Education Worker with the LAMP Ontario Early Years Services in Toronto. His main focus is on working with fathers, encouraging them to be responsibly involved with their children. Brian also supports other organizations and agencies working with fathers through coordinating conferences and providing training in Father Involvement best practices directly to staff and organizations. He is the Provincial Coordinator for the Father Involvement Initiative - Ontario Network (FII-ON). With a background in Marriage and Family Therapy, Brian brings an important perspective to the couple relationship in families, where trust and respect are key elements to building strong families.
 Attie Sandink , R.N.
Attie Sandink is a Registered Nurse, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, and Childbirth Educator, who can presently be found either teaching Child Birth Classes, giving breastfeeding support and education to the children of clients she taught many years ago or assisting them at their births. She may also be supporting teens or young moms at the Shifra Home in Burlington, Ontario. Attie is a Lactation Educator for CAPPA Canada and facilitates a Distance Education Program for Breastfeeding through Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario. She continues to work as a Private Registered Lactation Consultant and a Labour and Delivery Nurse. Her husband and her four sons have been very patient with her passion to support new families.
 Moumita Sarkar, BSc., MSc., Ph.D.
Moumita Sarkar has over 12 years of professional experience in such diverse areas as clinical research, education and women’s issues and services. This encompasses research, coordination, writing, presentation and speaking to media. Since 2000, Moumita has held the position of Alcohol and Substance Use Counselor with The Motherisk Program, Hospital for Sick Children. Moumita is a highly skilled clinical researcher with an expertise in Maternal and Fetal Pharmacology. Moumita holds a PhD with the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto with a specialist in Addiction Medicine. She currently serves as an advisory committee member for several National and Community Task Forces with respect to Alcohol and illicit substance use prevention.
 Sarah Naomi Shaw, M.S.W, Ed.M., Ed.D., MD, CCFP
Dr. Sarah Shaw is a family physician providing care to families of all ages, but predominantly young families, women and children. Her medical practice encompasses newborn and well child care, prevention, acute care, and chronic disease management for children and adults, as well as psychotherapy. She brings a background as a developmental psychologist and a clinical social worker to her work as a doctor. Prior to practicing medicine, she ran a nonprofit helping individuals involved in street prostitution and counselled sexual assault/abuse survivors. She taught psychology and social work at Harvard and Wilfrid Laurier universities. Her scholarly publications span a variety of areas including self-injury in young women, the father role, and patients' perspectives on collaborative health care. Dr. Sarah lives in Toronto with her husband and their 3 sweet boys.
 Tessa-Marie Shillingford
Tessa- Marie Shillingford is the author of Controlling the Debt Monster. She is Personal Financial Planner, with a designation from the Institute of Canadian Bankers, and a Financial Counselor certified by the institute of Canadian Banker. She is presently a Program Facilitator of Financial Literacy at JVS Toronto. Tessa- Marie was employed by TD Canada Trust for twenty years in the retail section of the bank. During her tenure at TD Canada Trust she held various positions interacting with customers of the bank. As a Financial Advisor and Manager of Financial Services she led a group of Financial Advisors in helping customers of TD Canada Trust successfully manage their finances. Details of her book…Controlling the Debt Monster, can be found at http://www.controldebtmonster.com
 Karen Soper, BSc., RNCP
Karen Soper has been practicing holistic nutrition since she graduated from the Institute of Holistic Nutrition in June 2003. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree and is a registered nutritionist (RNCP). Karen teaches a Nutrition and Wellness Certification for Canadian Fitness Professionals (CFP). She is the mother of three boys, and a frequent author and contributor to community organizations.
 Robyn Stremler, R.N., Ph.D.
Dr. Stremler is a nurse scientist whose research is aimed at improving sleep for infants and children and their families. She is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto in the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing and an Adjunct Scientist at the The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) Research Institute. Dr. Stremler is currently a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) New Investigator. Dr. Stremler’s past work as a nurse includes positions in various maternal and newborn care settings and the Multidisciplinary Sleep Disorders Clinic at SickKids. She has taught in the undergraduate and graduate programs and in clinical and classroom settings at the Faculty of Nursing. In her role at SickKids, Dr. Stremler contributes to the advancement of nursing research initiatives and provides research mentorship to staff and advanced practice nurse. For more information on Dr. Stremler’s research see www.stremlerresearch.com.
 Richard Volpe, Ph.D.
Dr. Richard Volpe received his Ph.D. from the University of Alberta. He then was a Laidlaw Foundation Post Doctoral Fellow at the Hospital for Sick Children and the Clarke Institute. Currently he is Professor of Human Development and Applied Psychology, and Projects Director, Life Span Adaptation Projects, University of Toronto. Previously he has been Chair of the Institute for the Prevention of Child Abuse, Evaluation and Conceptual Elaboration Unit Director, Child at Risk Program, Laidlaw Foundation, OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) Senior Program Evaluation Expert, and Director of the Dr. R. G. N. Laidlaw Research Centre, Institute of Child Study, University of Toronto. As a social psychologist interested in human development he has focused on interpersonal relations and their significance throughout the life span. His research has led to numerous projects and publications on life span development, the prevention of intentional and unintentional injury, and the connection between theory, policy, and practice. Last year he published a book called the The secure child: Timeless lessons in parenting and childhood education.
 Kellie Walden, R.N.
Kellie Walden, is a Registered Nurse, Lactation Consultant, Parent Educator and proud mother of two. She currently works for The Peterborough Family Resource Centre, which is an Ontario Early Years Centre. She has been providing nursing services, lactation education and support and parent education to the families at the centre for the past fifteen years. Prior to that, she was a staff nurse in Maternal/Child services. She is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, a Childbirth Educator and an IAIM Certified Infant Massage Instructor.
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